Longing
by chattyxx
Summary: Shikamaru x Fem!Naru. Shikamaru was content with admiring her from afar, but when he was given the chance to finally become more than just a friend to her, he took it.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not receive profits from writing this fanfiction

Warning: femnaru and OOC Shikamaru because he's in love~~~. Also, this fanfiction is not edited yet.

A/N:

Here's a ShikaNaru one written for **gmilena123. gmilena123:** You're really sweet and it was nice talking to you. :) I don't know if this is what you want, because to be honest, I can mostly only write fluff or angst.

This kind of contains a bit of my wishful thinking (?), because I never wanted (spoiler alert) Jiraiya to die, and I wanted Shikamaru to be a little dark tactician-ish and (spoiler alert) I really didn't want Naruto to lose his arm in the fight. Okay, so this is a short short story about ShikaNaru and I really hope you enjoy it 3.

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She had always been a constant in his life, the bright, sunny but slightly dumb blonde. Everything about her captivated him, and sometimes he wondered what exactly drew him to her, because if it was outward appearances, Ino had blue eyes and blonde hair too. But when he thought about it, he realized that it probably was her kind personality and how she could light up everyone's day with a smile, but the reason for his longing was one riddle he could never truly figure out, despite his high IQ and everything, Shikamaru always had trouble interacting with people.

He had never wanted much from her, for he had always expected Sasuke, who was the closest to her, to end up with Naru, and he was content with staring at her from afar. Yet when Sasuke betrayed the village and left her alone, Shikamaru saw his chance. He had never been a particularly motivated person, but for Naru, he was willing to change.

Shikamaru was a tactician, and he thought things through. He refused to make a blind move and ruin all his chances. So he waited till she was back from her training trip and he laid a trap by bumping into her and asking her out for a casual date. He was sure that she probably did not understand, because she really was a little oblivious about things to do with romance. After all, she had ignored Sasuke's subtle invitations to a date numerous times and simply thought of their dinners together as 'friendly outings'.

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Their first dinner date, albeit the fact that only he thought of it as a date, was at this quaint little cafe. Shikamaru had went to the cafe before to ensure the owners held no prejudice against Naru so hopefully nothing would spoil their 'date'. He felt very much like a girl on her first date, and could barely keep the smile off his face. He had removed his shinobi vest and was dressed like a civilian, making an extra effort to pick clothes that would seem casual but well dressed at the same time. He had arrived at her apartment earlier that the agreed time by around ten minutes, and was pacing outside, unsure of how to greet her. Should he greet her casually, or should he act all gentlemanly? Should he act like it was a romantic date or should he simply act like it was a normal dinner between friends?

"Hey Shika! You're early! I'll be down soon, so wait a little while longer won't 'cha?" Naru had peeked out of the window, her face oddly red and her long blonde hair a mess. She had disappeared back into her apartment as suddenly as she had appeared, her window slamming shut. The glimpse of his crush had not helped him to calm his nerves much, if anything, he was even more anxious now.

"How troublesome..." Shikamaru sighed, leaning his head against the walls of the apartment building, hands in his pockets. Why did he always become a nervous wreck around Naru? It was like all his genius left him the moment Naru came near him. Before he could delve deeper and contemplate more about the topic, he was distracted by the sound of his name being called. He turned to his left, pushing himself off the wall to face Naru. As soon as he saw her, he felt all the blood rush to his face, and he flushed a deep red.

Naru was wearing a white knee length dress that flared out at her waist, decorated with sakura petals that started from her waist and gradually increased in amount towards the bottom. She looked very much like a fairy, especially with her blonde hair let down, and although Shikamaru has seen her in a dress before, for example her knee length orange and black kimono dress that she paired with tights which made up her shinobi outfit, but he had never quite seen her in such a feminine dress before, and she looked absolutely breathtaking.

Scratching her head, a light blush dusting her tanned cheeks, she sheepishly smiled. "Ino, Sakura and Hinata came over and they insisted that I wear a dress when they found out I was going out with you. It's really embarrassing, and I really don't know why they insisted so much..." She trailed off, staring at the ground.

"You look great Naru, don't worry about it you troublesome woman." Shikamaru blurted out before he could stop himself. Naru blushed a little more, before reverting back to her hyperactive self. They then headed for the little cafe where they proceeded to have a good dinner with light chatter, mostly on Naru's part. It was a great first date, and it marked the beginning of many future ones. It was perhaps, the very start of their relationship.

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After the first dinner, they had made it their routine to meet up at least once every two weeks, and it was only on their third 'date' that Shikamaru decided to steel himself and ask her to be his girlfriend. He knew war was on the horizon, and a shinobi's life was unpredictable. He did not wish to leave any room for regrets should anything happen.

This time, she was wearing a dress again, a azure blue one this time, one matching the color of her eyes. As usual, she was the picture of perfection, and, as per usual, he was left breathless at her beauty. Sighing, he knew it was better to get it over with as soon as possible, and he reached out to grasp her hand, before she skipped off to Ichiraku's Ramen, their venue for the night.

"Naru, I really really like you, and I seriously don't find you troublesome. So..." He faltered, searching her face for any expression at all, but he could not find a trace of emotion. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Will you be my girlfriend Naru? I promise I'll care for you. It doesn't matter if you still can't forget Sasuke, because I'll wait, just please accept my feelings and date me seriously as my girlfriend?" Shikamaru shut his eyes, ready for the rejection, because he knew that she still cared for Sasuke, and he knew that he may never be her first priority.

He was surprised to feel two arms wrapping around him. And he wrapped his arms around Naru hesitantly, burying his face in her shoulder, inhaling the smell of oranges and sunshine. She was so so warm, and he never wanted to let go.

"I'll be your girlfriend Shika, I know I don't deserve someone like you, but if you'll accept me as your girlfriend, I'd love to go out with you." Shikamaru had never felt so happy in his life, smiling into her shoulder, barely resisting the urge to shout out and pump his fist in the air in victory. As for Naru, she was excited to tell Jiraiya about the news, sending a frog messenger to him to inform him about the new development. The very next week, Jiraiya had come back.

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Shikamaru had overheard that Jiraiya had been gone for this particularly dangerous mission, and there were rumors that Tsunade found it so dangerous that she had begged him not to go, but Shikamaru had decided to keep his mouth shut about it, in order not to worry Naru. He had not expected that Jiraiya would return from the mission so fast. As it turned out, he had dropped whatever he was doing, and had come back to 'check out' his goddaughter's new boyfriend, and by check out he meant having dinner with the new couple along with Tsunade and having the two sannins scrutinize Shikamaru carefully.

It was rather fascinating really, how the usually lax shinobi who was known to be a pervert was so caring and protective of his goddaughter. The night had started out as usual, and they had scheduled a date at this new restaurant selling sushi and ramen. He had turned up at her apartment early as usual, when he saw her already standing in the street, waiting for him in her shinobi clothes. This time however, there were two figures next to her, and as he drew closer, he realized they were Tsunade and Jiraiya. Having to face these two powerful shinobi that meant so much to Naru would be oh so troublesome, but for Naru, it was worth it.

"Take care of her Shikamaru, I'll never forgive you if you break her heart." The aged man had told him as they followed the two women who were a few steps ahead of them to go get some dessert before heading hope for the night.

"It's more likely that she'll break my heart, Jiraiya-sama, than I'll break hers," Shikamaru smiled sadly, kicking the pebble in his path almost absentmindedly. "Jiraiya-sama, I know I have no place asking this of you, but please be careful and don't be too troublesome. You're practically the only family Naru has left. I heard you ditched a troublesome mission to come back here, and I know you'll probably go back to continue the mission, but if the mission has such a low survival rate, then please do not waste your life in vain."

The older man was silent, his eyebrows furrowed into a frown. They were silent for the rest of the walk, but Shikamaru knew his words had struck home. After that, Shikamaru had heard that Jiraiya had given up on that particularly dangerous mission and would be staying in Konoha in preparation for the upcoming attack by the Akatsuki.

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"Ne Shika, I've got to go training with my summons for a while, I'm leaving tomorrow. It won't be very long, but I need to improve myself so I can protect Konoha. So can we withhold our dates for a while?" Naru smiled warmly at Shikamaru, and as always, he was caught off guard by her beauty. That night, under the moonlight and the weak illumination of the streetlight, they shared their first kiss before parting on a sweet note. The next day, Shikamaru got up extra early to send Naru off, his heart wrenching as her figure got smaller as she walked further away.

Naru had the certain charm to her, she made everyone want to follow her, and Shikamaru knew she was no weakling, but yet as he watched her fighting the group of people that had seriously injured two of the sannins, even with her frog sage mode, he could not help but worry. So he bandaged up his injured foot really tight with a strip of cloth to stop the pain, and gathered his teammates and whoever could help to get to a place nearer to the fight so that he could help should there be a need to. Because despite how tough she was, he was worried for her. So when Naru showed signs of faltering, he immediately brought in the back up and the Konoha Eleven teamed up again to kick Pein's butt.

Although he got scolded by Naru for putting his life in danger, when everything was over, he had hugged her really tight, nuzzling into her neck and muttering how grateful he was that she was fine. Then he swooped in to steal a kiss, just as sweet as the first one they shared, he tasted of cigarettes and she smelled like oranges, and Shikamaru wished that moment would last forever.

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Yet good times were fast to go, because soon, Sasuke came into their lives again. When Shikamaru had heard how she pleaded for Sasuke's life, and after seeing how despite everything, she still did not want to kill Sasuke, he could feel his heart shatter. He had given her his all and still she longed for Sasuke. But he had promised her when he first asked her to be his girlfriend that he would be okay even if she still longed for Sasuke, and even if it broke his heart that she still felt that way even through all the times they spent together, he would keep mum and continue to love her despite her heart not belonging to him.

After the Five Kages' Summit, it was confirmed that war was on the horizon. That was when Shikamaru did something with an intent so cruel that he wondered when he fell so deeply in love with Naru that he became so desperate. He proposed to Naru on a nice summer day, at the Academy where they had met. He would do anything to keep her, and that included marrying her before she could change her mind. He knew he would lose her to Sasuke if he had a change of heart during the war and came back to Konoha, and he knew the only way to keep her would be that way. Even if he could not obtain her love, at least he would have her person, it was enough for him to love her unconditionally, he could love her enough for the both of them however troublesome it was as long as she stayed with him.

She had accepted, tears in her eyes, and he promised her he would hold a bigger ceremony after the war, but for now, it would be a private gathering for their closest friends. They invited their parents, the Konoha Eleven, all the senseis and the two sennin. It was held in a quaint little church and there were no tuxedos or wedding gowns involved. When they recited their vows to each other, Shikamaru felt nauseous thinking about how manipulative he was, but one look into the beautiful blue eyes of his partner, he knew he would make the choice to propose to her all over again even when given the chance to rethink his choices. Their ceremony had been short and sweet, and a promise that they would both come out of the war alive.

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By the time the war had ended, Sasuke had willingly returned to Konoha without a fight, and Shikamaru knew it was not simply because he rediscovered his loyalty to the village but rather that Sasuke fell in love with Naru all over again. This time however, Sasuke had grown much wiser, and asked Jiraiya, who had come out of the war looking ten years older, if he could court Naru. Jiraiya had stared at him strangely and explained that Naru was now married to Shikamaru.

When he found out the news, Sasuke stormed over to the Hokage's office where Shikamaru was dealing with some of the paperwork and had punched the genius in his face.

"How dare you steal her while I was away! You're no fool Shikamaru, and I'm sure you knew my longing for her has always existed!" Sasuke raised his voice at him. Shikamaru froze. Then he leaned closer to Sasuke.

"Who asked you to be troublesome and betray the village? So what if I stole her away? You can't do anything now can you?" Shikamaru drawled in a lazy fashion, his voice a whisper near Sasuke's ear. Shikamaru then shunshined out of the office, leaving the stunned Uchiha alone.

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Their official wedding happened on a Saturday, a month after the war had ended, the day all their beloved friends and family were in town. She had walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, Jiraiya escorting her. When Shikamaru cast his eyes upon her, he forgot all the troublesome things he had to go through to plan the wedding, and fell in love with Naru all over again. After they exchanged their vows, he brought her close for a kiss, eyes meeting Sasuke's as if to declare that he had won. Shikamaru knew, deep in his heart that he did not win, because Naru still loved Sasuke, and he only 'won' because of his underhanded actions.

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By their third month of marriage, Naru was pregnant, and Shikamaru had gone out and gotten himself drunk in celebration of their child. After he had stumbled home at ten in the evening, he had grasped onto his wife's arm, as he lay on their bed next to her, and repeated that he loved her over and over again. Naru had laughed, telling him she loved him too.

"Don't." Shikamaru screwed his eyes shut, feeling like crying. "It's okay if you love Sasuke, because I don't mind. You don't have to force yourself and lie to me."

"Is that what you think I'm like? I won't marry someone I don't love!" Naru sat abruptly, tears rolling down her cheeks. Shikamaru's eyes widened, sobering up immediately.

"You love me?" Shikamaru could not believe his ears. Was he still drunk? Was he hallucinating? Because how could Naru love him? He was lazy, and he was not suave and he was not particularly strong like Sasuke, he simply paled in comparison to the Uchiha.

She pulled the man she loved close. "Trust me Shika, I love you so, so much. I haven't loved Sasuke for a long time now, ever since you stole my heart away. Please don't ever doubt me again." And they stayed like that, wrapped up in each other's embrace for a long while.

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_"Hey Naru, do you love me?"_

_"I do. So, so much."_

_"I love you too Naru, more than words can ever express"_

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_"Hey Shika?"_

_"Yes?" _

_"I love you."_

_"And I love you more you troublesome woman."_

_"No, I love you more Shika!"_

_"I've loved you for longer than you can ever fathom you troublesome troublesome woman. Don't argue with me."_

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_"Please don't ever leave me."_

_"What happened Shika?"_

_"He said he would steal you away Naru, so please please don't ever leave me."_

_"It's a nightmare Shika. Don't worry, I won't leave you." _

_"Promise?"_

_"I promise"_

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_"Shika! She's crying again!"_

_"How troublesome. Why won't you change her diaper yourself troublesome woman?"_

_"But Shika..."_

_"Alright, I'll go do it. How troublesome."_

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_"I'm finally Hokage now, will you be my advisor Shika?"_

_"I'll support you till the end of time. I'll be the shadow to your sun for as long as you'll have me."_

_"I'll have you forever. Arigatou Shika."_


End file.
